Ten on Tuesday

This one is an easy one especially since I've not had breakfast yet. I love doing what we call 'big breakfast'. A breakfast/brunch buffet is pure heaven for me. My husband doesn't eat eggs so we are limited in our options at home. I'd eat breakfast every morning in a little diner if my metabolism and my wallet could handle it.

 10 Favorite Breakfast Foods

1.  Bacon- Like this was even a question. Bacon makes everything taste better. That's why it is the candy of meats. 
2. Eggs Benedict- love them. Have them rarely because they are such a pain to make. My favorite varation had smoked salmon instead of the ham. Pure Heaven. 
3. Soft scrambled eggs. There is a trick to doing them just right, but when the are....mmmmmm. Top them with a little Frank's Hot Sauce, salt and maybe some cheese and scallions.
4.  French Toast- Both plain and the stuffed variety we do. (It's stuffed with cream cheese and jam)
5. Scones- all kinds...sweet or savory. 
6. Fried eggs, sunny side up. Love my runny yokes. 
7. Hash browns- I much prefer these over home fries. Don't really know why, just do. Make them nice and crispy. 
8. Corned beef Hash- the little diner near us does their hash from scratch. LOVE IT. Again keep it on the griddle until it's nice and crispy.
9. Smoked salmon- Not just for bagels and cream cheese and capers, but also with eggs. We became very spoiled during our honeymoon in Alaska with the HUGE platter of smoked salmon at the breakfast buffet every day. 
10. Fresh fruit- of any kind. I really love fresh fruit at breakfast. It's a good counter balance if having a large heavy breakfast or a nice compliment to a light one. 
 

I must add my list of beverages....Tea is a must. Usually a black tea in the morning, though will go green if the fare is lighter. And coffee. I only seem to really drink coffee in the morning if we are doing a big meal....or I need it for work. And a juice of some sort.I'm not married to the traditional orange. I usually like a good cranberry juice.

I've been a tad silent of late. Work is kicking my arse....as well as my legs and hands and arms. Last week was spent entirely laying out a floor full of scenery. Forced perspective buildings with lots and lots of windows. And now I am painting them...in the style of pen and ink drawings. Very tedious. And surprisingly tiring.
But (!) I had a amazingly productive weekend and took pictures. Let's just say the new sewing set-up is really working out.

 Now back to tiny brushes and black paint.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Favorite Moments from 2013

2013 has been a rough year but there have been a few bright moments:

1. Discovering that I would be able to go back on my original MS treatment. I was devestated last January with my tests came back positive for the virus antibodies that put me at risk of a potentially fatal infection while under this treatment. A short while later it was discovered that it was more than just a matter of positive or negative, but a scale of positive. I was tested and my numbers were among the lowest they had yet seen (very good news). Actually with numbers so low I could revert back to negative. After my new treatment failed to be all that we hoped, we decided to put me back on the infusions. I've had two so far. I'm not back to feeling as well as I had when I went off of it, but I am hopeful. 
2. Walking down Main Street with my family to the ice cream shop and Little Dude is randomly humming The Imperial March. A perfect stranger at a sidewalk cafe overheard and erupted into laughter. He totally made her day. The Geek is strong with this one. 
3. Getting Little Dude into the magnet school of our choice and him starting kindergarten. And what did he wear on his first day of school?? The sweater that I knitted for him.
   
4. Got our first plot in the community garden. It wasn't a complete success but I think we'll be doing it again. 
5. My daughter exclaiming "These shoes match my dress!" in regards to the Cinderella shoes that I picked up from Target and the dress I had made her for Halloween. She wears the shoes every night when we read bedtime stories. (Don't ask. I don't know.)
   
6. My husband and I reaching out 11th wedding anniversary. 
7. Last February I was a covergirl for our local chapter of the National MS Society. ( Go here to check it out and then click 'Spring 2013'.) And my neurologist will never let me forget it. 
   
8.  I was asked to cut the ribbon at the MS Walk in April, and Little Dude helped me.
   
9. We made tremendous strides in potty training in our house.
10. And this conversation:

Little Miss noticed my stained glass TARDIS  and started talking about Dr. Who at dinner one night.
Me: Do you want to be the Doctor's companion when you get bigger?
Little Miss: No. I want to be a Dalek.
Little Dude: People don't turn into Daleks. They just get zapped by the Daleks. Cybermen turn people turn people into other Cybermen.
Husband: *turning to me* Are you training them?!?

 So there it is. And hoping that for next year we all will have too many favorite moments to count.

In the Ear

Back to work again (hopefully for real this time) and that means back to my iPod. I spend most of my day off in my own corner of the shop. I've been here over 5 years at this point. I reached a point with listening to the radio...you can only hear the same songs day after day for so long before it drives you batty. And then my shop radio died. Enter in the iPod. It's just an old 3rd generation Nano but it does what I want. I initially requested an mp3 player so I could listen to audiobooks. I was given an iPod, which is a very nice gift, but at the time it wasn't compatable with the library's audiobooks. So it sat tucked away until Apple and whomever worked their issues out. Now that thing is stuck in my ears nearly every minute that I am at work.

I started with audiobooks but then after a while I found that what was available at the library didn't quite interest me. Enter the Podcast. 

When I find a new podcast I will go back and download the entire catalog and listen from the beginning. Unfortunately my iPod doesn't like to cooperate with that kind of listening and will only list then from the newest first, meaning I have to click over after every episode. First world problems, I know, but it can be an issue when I am elbow deep in texture goop. Warning, podcast listening can start a chain reaction and you can quickly have a listening queue as big as your stash. I'll often find other podcasts from the ones I am listening to and then it goes from there.

These people have become my friends. They are the ones I spend my days with and make me laugh, make me think and just generally make my days pleasant. So here are a few of my favorites.

Craft Lit -Heather Ordover has found a fabulous formula for podcasting. She is probably the strongest single host cast that I listen to. She carries it so well. First you have a little bit of crafting talk and then onto the literature. All public domain works enhanced with Heather's enlightening bits of history, explanations of archaic language or context and just wonderful general commentary on the books. Here are some of the books I've listened to on this show:

• The Age of Innocence
• Gulliver's Travels
• Jane Eyre 
• A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
• Flatland
• The Women in White
• A Tale of Two Cities
• Dracula
• Frankenstein
• Pride and Prejudice
• Persuasion
• Little Women
• The Scarlett Letter
• The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• Turn of the Screw
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
• Tristan and Isolde

Quite a list, no? I don't think I ever would have read (listened to) A Tale of Two Cities on my own. And I loved it. She's helped me realize just how much I love Dickens. I've even stuck around through the books I didn't enjoy quite as much (Connecticut Yankee and Turn of the Screw). I find myself talking to her while I listen (as if she could magically hear me) because the whole thing is done in such a conversational manner. I'm getting the subscription for my birthday because Bleak House is one of my all time favorite books.

ChopBard- Shakespeare is another love of mine, and never before have I been witness to it being done so well. I'm recommending this to all the people who have high schoolers. This is a fabulous way to introduce them to the Bard, and foster a life long love of his works. Ehern doesn't go for the over thought, pretentious interpretations. He shows us what is there and gives us the tools and the opportunity to interpret it for ourselves. I also like his looking at it from an actor's perspective. Being of the theatre myself, it speaks to me. Found him through CraftLit.

Rex Factor- I found this one through ChopBard. (it is an endless cycle). A wonderful review of all the kings and queens of England. I love me some history, especially when it is done with such fun flair. I had a professor who taught in this fashion and I took every class of his I could. After a bit of biography they rate the monarch on Battleyness, Scandal, Subjectivity, Longevity and Dynasty and then decide if they possess the 'Rex Factor'. I'm sad that they've now reached the end. (Personally I think they should keep going with other countries and/or the Popes)

Brass Needles- One of the first podcasts I started listening to. It has the mixture of knitting and geekery that I enjoy. First half is crafting, second is anything from sci-fi movies/tv/books, to cosplay to steampunk to whatever suits her fancy. She recently had a baby so the schedule has been a little erratic.

Knitmore Girls- Found these lovely ladies from Brass Needles above. A mother and daughter podcasting duo. I love these ladies. They remind me of me and my mum. And they may be single handedly responsible for pushing me to up my knitting game (once I get the energy again). Their book reviews are honest and informative. I'm constantly running over to my computer to look up a pattern or a yarn while listening to them. I've learned a lot of great information. They cover knitting, spinning, sewing and much, much more.

Knit1Geek2-I could totally see me hanging out with the ladies who host this podcast. Knitting and geekery galore. This is the podcast that pushed me down the Dresden Files rabbit hole. Each episode is filled with knitting/crafting, geek culture and other things to crush on. These Canadian ladies can get a little rowdy, so not for those who like their podcasting prim and proper. Just my kind of girls.

Geek Girl Crafts- One of my early podcasts as well. They have turned me onto some really good books. I do have a few issues with the show but not enough to stop listening.

SteamGeeks- I found these guys searching searching for steampunk podcasts and found so much more. Hosted by The League of S.T.E.A.M, this show covers topics related to steampunk, such as history, cosplay, artists and craftspeople in the community. They also have fabulous product reviews (a must listen if you like any kind of spirituous beverages). A fun group and I'm glad they are back from their hiatus.

The Ratchet Retrocast- I found this one after a join podcast they did with SteamGeeks. They examine popculture with the caveat that it must be at least 20 years old. The added bonus is that one of the hosts is only in her early 20's so some of this is a first time adventure to her. It's like living the best parts of my childhood all over again. They are a part of the Earth Station One network.

Earth Station Who- Another Earth Station One gem. All Dr. Who. A fabulous look at both the classic series and the revival. I loved how they went through all the Doctors by looking at their first and last episode. Now that I am caught up on the new series I can listen to the rest of the archives.

Stuff You Missed in History Class- I think I stumbled upon this one from mentions by the Knitmore Girls. Short episodes focusing on random bits of history. For a history geek like me, this is perfect. And it just makes me want to read more about a hundred different things.

Masters Cast-So this is where I really so my geek. Yes. This is a podcast about He-man and She-ra. Yes. I am a geek and I love the toys from my childhood. They cover everything from the new toy releases (yes, they are still making He-man figures, but more for the collector), comics, and the various cartoons involving He-man and She-ra.

So there is an incomplete (!) list of what is typically in my ears on an average work day.

I must to bed. This has been a lot of typing and the amount of red squiggles accompanying my words (thank you spellcheck) tell me that I've extended my personal bandwidth for the day.

On the Reading table

One of the contributers to my lack of posting last year that I've fallen back into reading. For some reason I find I read more in the summer. Perhaps it's the whole, 'too hot to knit' thing. It also helps that we've been going to the library quite a bit. Our library has an excellent Children's department, and we end up there most Saturdays.

The majority of my reading time has been indulging in the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. I'm a big lover of urban fantasy, and this series has everything I love. The Dresden Files is a mix of magic and film noir with probably one of the most wonderful protagonists I've seen in a while. I'd been aware of the series for a while, but after listening to Knit 1 Geek 2 talk about it, I figured it was time to check it out.

I finished the first book in one day. (Sometimes it pays to be bed-ridden with illness) I'm 10 books into the series and it never disappoints. Unlike many series, it is not formulaic at all. I never know what to expect. The normal exposition that comes with such a series is not as painful as in some others that I have encountered. The protagonist is Harry Dresden, a professional wizard living and working in modern day Chicago. And you can't go wrong with an amazing cast of characters, one of my favorites being Bob, a skull inhabited by an intelligent spirit who has a penchant for romance novels and the personality of a dirty old man.

 I must admit that the Dresden Files make up most of the non-audio books I have consumed over the last year, but not surprising considering I'm on book 10. Some other books I've had in hand are:

Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
The New Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
I was turned onto this from another podcast, CraftLit. I love fresh bread and I miss all the little Italian bakeries from back home. The idea is that you mix up the dough, keep it in the fridge and over the course of two weeks cut off what you need and bake it. Easy-peasy. The first two listed I borrowed from the library and showed to my Dad. He's already started the process and says it's a winner. And then they gave me the last book for Christmas. I need to get my supplies and hopefully we will be having fresh bread within the next few weeks.

Technical Theater for Nontechnical People- OMG this book. I keep saying this needs to be required reading for everyone at our University. And I don't just mean in our department or the performing arts school. I mean the whole damn University! One of our biggest headaches is that people don't quite get what we do, and this book spells it out in layman's terms. Granted it does need some updating. Things like Polaroids and such are replaced with digital photos and other technology but the gist of the argument is there. And it was about $3 for the Kindle version.

Gunn's golden rules : life's little lessons for making it work-I picked this one up on a whim one day. I've only heard of Project Runway (we still don't have cable or Netflix or the like. I know...we're Luddites), so I was vaguely aware of Tim Gunn. I have to say that his emphasis on hard work and manners is a breath of fresh air, especially coming from the world of 'reality' TV. I don't remember it being anything extremely profound but a nice light read.

Vader's Little Princess- This was this year's father's day gift to Daddy from Little Miss. Last year he received Darth Vader and Son from Little Dude. These are great fun if you are a Star Wars fan and a parent.

The Last Unicorn- I stumbled upon this fabulous graphic novel completely by accident. The Last Unicorn is one of the stories that symbolizes my childhood for me. Then consider my shock and horror when I discovered that my husband was completely unaware of it. How could any child of the 80's not have seen The Last Unicorn. It is iconic 80's childhood along with The Secret of NIMH, The NeverEnding Story,  The Dark Crystal, or .. but I digress. The graphic novel is wonderful. I keeps much of the feel of the movie, while being all it's own. The only thing I miss is the unicorns crashing in the crests of the waves...not something a static image quite captures.

I can't remember much beyond that. I know there were a few others.I'm not sure if I should add the myriad of children's books I have read over the last year. Perhaps in another post.

I caved....

How's this for something new in the new year:

I now can also be found on Twitter at  @Gothknits

(I always said I'd wait until I got a smartphone to do that. There is no smartphone on the horizon for a long, long time so I just went for it.)

Snow and sickness

My love has the flu. And we're not talking a stomach flu, but the influenza flu. He's been close to unconscious for the last few days. I have a feeling he'll be getting his flu shot next year. And speaking of flu shots, we are having a hell of a time getting one for Little Miss. With my own medical issues of late I completely dropped the ball on this one. In the past it wasn't an issue because she had midyear checkups that fell during vaccination season. Now she only goes around her birthday...in March. And when we did call our doctor was out of the vaccine. No biggie....(or so we thought). Little Dude got his at the Minute Clinic several years ago when he was close to the same age. Well, they've changed the rules and they don't do it for kids under 5. And neither does anyone else. The entire practice our doctor belongs to is out of the vaccine. We are at a loss. Especially since she needs it to remain in daycare. Tomorrow I think we'll be calling the local children's hospital to see what our options are.

At the same time we're all at home today with work and school being cancelled on the account of snow. Little Dude had early dismissal yesterday and spent the afternoon with me at work, until we were cut early too. Somehow I missed the announcement about daycare closing early and I was late in getting Little Miss. (yeah the year is starting out like that) So another day home is nice, especially since it means I can take care of the hubby but it also means a day behind on the show.

It was too cold for me to shovel last night with the windchill in the negatives. I put off going out this morning and then was greeted with a wonderful surprise. My neighbor saw my FB post about my husband's bout with the flu and kindly snow-blowed the whole driveway for us. I only had to do the path and around the cars. I'm making that man a cake.

And so today I tackled the dismantling of Christmas. I have some lovely new ornament storage boxes that my step-mother gave me. There is one for each of the kids for the ornaments they have either made or been given. Then there is my collection. I did a big purge last year and now I was able to consolidate several boxes. I inherited a large collection of the old school glass bulb style ornaments when prop storage cleared out years ago. I'm a sucker for vintage ornaments and I hate seeing perfectly good items being tossed in the dumpster. That's also why we currently own about 10,000 white Christmas lights. 

 I could make our house look like this without spending a dime.

What I really want now is a new tree. Yes, we are fake tree people. We have been for years. I can't bring myself to kill a tree every year and I don't have the property to plant one every year. and ore mess in my house is the last thing I need. Plus, with our fireplace I can't risk the fire hazard. My dad is a retired firefighter and it is in my blood to avoid such risks. Besides our Evil-Genius cat insists on drinking the water and getting sap into her fur. And with all my childhood memories of tree disasters, I'd rather stick with one I know will stand up. The only thing I miss is the smell, and Yankee Candle has that covered.  Our current tree I bought in 1999 when I worked at a certain craft and fabric store over the holiday season. With my employee discount and the end of season markdown, I got the tree for $17.50. That tree owes us nothing. Now I want one that is pre-lit because dealing with the on and off of the lights on the tree is probably my least favorite part. Perhaps next year....unless I stumble upon a fabulous deal. The trick is that most of our ceilings are only 7'6". And my amazing, beloved, vintage tree-topper is a good 10 inches tall. Shorter trees are harder to find.  I may have to come up with another way to make use of the topper and go for a taller tree. 

In the meantime, Christmas is getting sorted and packed away for another year. And I have an empty corner of my living-room to fill. I did a mass rearranging of furniture to be able to have the tree in the living-room this year. Now that corner is currently unclaimed. I've also stripped much of the art off the walls to move that around as well. I'll be busy this weekend, that is for sure.

Happy Calendar Day!

Wow....2014.

It hardly seems real. I remember saying something last year about 2013 was going to be a better year. Yeah, I won't be saying anything like that this year. It certainly was an interesting year to say the least. It was a year of changes.

•  I switched MS treatments...twice. The washout periods between drugs were less than pleasant...flare-ups and fatigue being the predominate issues. I also had a nasty withdrawal from another drug.
•  I designed my first main-stage show. Unfortunately this fell in one of my washout periods and the whole project was less enjoyable and more stress than I expected.
•  Little Dude started kindergarten and Little Miss has grown from a little toddler to a pre-schooler full of personality. Little Dude has adjusted to 'Big Kid School' very well. His first report card was excellent. He shows an aptitude to math and science and had perfect scores in art. Little Miss was moved up into a higher class back in October. She's speaking more and using more complete sentences. She has no problem expressing her opinion, and boy, does she have opinions.
• We've made some progress on the house, but no where the amount we had hoped. We've made some big progress in the last week or two that should allow us to really push forward on the main projects.
• I did make progress in the Big House Purge. There is more to go, but I think I made a pretty good dent in the project. 
• It was a slow crafting year...I didn't finish much or start that much. The fatigue really left me too tired to focus. I remember sitting there one night and the crochet hook in my hand was just too damn heavy. How sad is that?!? 
• My goal of getting rid of diapers in the house in 2013 didn't happen...completely. Disposable diapers are gone. Pull-ups are still a part of daily life, but there are a lot more successful potty events. In fact, Little Miss used the potty on her own all Christmas day. 
• Our first year in the community garden. Despite our wonderful yard, it has a lot of shade. Pretty much there is no part of our yard that has full sun.  Our first year was a learning experience and I think we will try again next year. Hopefully this year's weather will be a bit more cooperative. 

  The time between Christmas and New Year's my job shuts down. They found they save more money by giving us the time off and shutting down the campus (unplugging everything and turning down the heat) than they would by making us come in. Typically I get a lot done during this week, but now that Little Dude is in regular school, he has the same vacation time. Having him home, and some days his sister too, means that projects don't get my full attention. I'm also still not up full steam after only two treatments. I've been dealing with something...I don't know what...depression...fatigue...just general malaise...mixed in with some insomnia. Throw in a healthy dose of anti-social leanings. It's frustrating. I know I could be...should be...accomplishing so much with my time. But I'm not.
  Tomorrow is our return to work and school (if the coming snow storm doesn't cause closings). A new show waits for me and we have to hit the ground running. I'm hoping all that will snap me out of whatever I am in.

   So what am I hoping for in the new year? 

• That I do well on the treatments again, and I go back to having days where I forget I have MS.
• Finding some financial stability.
• Making some major progress on the house. 
• More success in our garden. 
• Getting Little Miss into the pre-K at Little Dude's school. This will help me greatly when I have to handle drop-off and pick-up all on my own.
•  More crafting
• More cooking and baking
• Getting the husband to laugh more. 

What am expecting in the new year?
    Nothing. I'm trying to go into this one more open to whatever is going to come.

So let's see what happens.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Favorite Housekeeping Shortcuts

Oh housekeeping....I must admit of late there has been little of this. Until this past weekend. The day after Thanksgiving I kicked into overdrive and went after some areas of the house that had been plaguing me. Under the guise of wanting to put the tree in the living room this year I made some drastic changes....and I'm not done yet. Six weeks of no medication left me barely able to function on a basic level. I've a lot to catch up on. I never considered hiring someone else to clean my house, but that was before MS and two kids. Lugging the vacuum around is enough to knock me out for a while. Some days I can barely stand, let alone stand at the sink and do dishes. Besides I spend much of my day washing buckets and brushes. The last thing I want to do is go home and do dishes.

But I have to admit, another part of me loves to throw on an apron, tie my hair up in a bandanna, toss on some up-beat singable music, and go crazy with a deep clean.  I do feel that on some level we've lost the 'art' of housekeeping. I'll save the how and why for another day. Just know that some of my favorite reading are volumes dedicated to housekeeping; both vintage and modern.

So what are my tricks, (other than the obvious 'ignore it)???

1. Have a place for everything. This is a biggie, I am discovering. Especially if you have kids. They don't grasp commands like "Clean up this room", but they do get "Put the Legos back where they belong." I spent a lot of time this weekend arranging organized homes for toys and crafting supplies. I even involved the kids. "Should we put the people and animals together in one drawer?" "Do we keep the toy sushi set separate or mix it in with the other food?" They are more likely to comply when they feel they have been a part of the process. And label it all. Everything. Then no one can say, "I don't know where this goes." (insert whiny tone here)

2. Now that it has a place, put it where it goes. Simple right? I'm very guilty of this. Don't put it next to where it goes. Put it where it goes. Now. Not later. Not when 40 other things are piled on it. Now. Simple but effective.

3. No food in the bedrooms. Never. Ever.

4. If you spill it, wipe it up. Right away. Doubly so for the bathroom. My 5 year old knows that if he pees on or around the toilet, he is to clean it up. I keep a tub of disinfectant wipes on top of the toilet just for that reason.

5. Simplify. This is an on going process for me. I come from a family of borderline hoarders. And working in Theatre hasn't helped the cause. With ever dwindling budgets, we feel the urge to save everything, because you never know when you might need it and not have the budget left for it. Really examine your life. Do you really need fancy towels for every holiday?  Do you wear every pair of shoes you own? Or all the clothes in your closet? Are you going to read those books again? or watch those old VHS's? Get rid of it. Don't like some knick-knack that Great-Aunt Matilda gave you as a wedding present? Give it away. The hardest thing for me has been keeping items out of guilt, but that's a topic for a whole post unto itself.

6. Change things around. I'm forever moving furniture around. It might drive my husband a little nuts, but I don't care. Change is good, even if it freaks out the cats. It keeps you from getting bored with what you have and buying more stuff you don't need. As the kids grow and out grow things, I find myself taking advantage of rearranging opportunities more and more. My mum and I would rearrange the living room at least once a year. We'd make a day of it and have a blast. She was just bemoaning my being so far away because she wanted to rearrange her bedroom and missed my input.

7. Open the windows...weather permitting of course. A little fresh air goes a long way. Even if just for a little while before you go back to heating or air conditioning. It makes a difference.

8. Throw some potpourri in your vacuum cleaner bag. (if you have the bag kind) You get a little aroma therapy while vacuuming and the house smells great.

9. Make the beds. It completely changes the look of the room.

10. Music. Make it singable/danceable. Something that makes you want to move and you'll see how much faster you get through it all.

I have to laugh. When I first saw this topic I thought ugh. But now I just want to write boat-loads about housekeeping, and my thoughts and theories
and crazy stories.

Ten on Tuesday...or Wednesday...

or whatever damn day this is.  I currently have a sinus infection that is making my sense of space and time rather wibbly wobbly. (jelly baby for you if you get the reference.... and that one too).


10 Things You Miss About Your Own House When You Go Away

1. our water- I drink a lot of water and typically from the tap. But apparently I'm somewhat of a water snob because I find the water a lot of places we go tastes...odd. Yeah, I'll go with odd.
2. my bed- especially now that we have the new memory foam bed.
3. the kids beds- you know ones that they will comfortablly sleep in so they don't end up in ours.
4. my leg pillow- I have to sleep with a pillow between my knees to prevent some rather annoying lower back pain. I really need to remember to bring one when we travel. There never seem to be enough pillows.
5. my tea supply- I try to bring some but will often run out. I like a rather distinct variety of teas and can't abide plain old Lipton.
6. our water pressure- I have a lot of hair and without some decent water pressure washing it can be a challenge.
7. the diaper sprayer- for the inevitable accident.
8. our cats- Though they are getting old and somewhat demanding and vocal in the dotage, I still love the little furballs.
9. wifi- (quasi) consistent and ready for me. 
10. whatever we've forgotten....because there is always something.

What day is it?

Holidays always screw me up. I'm lucky I know what day of the week it is during a "normal" week, let alone one connected to a long weekend. I took a bit of a break of late for a few reasons. I'm up to my armpits in scenery at work. The oppressive heat has come back and kicked my MS into overdrive, making anything outside of the basic duties of living a luxury.

And Little Dude started Kindergarten. (!!!!)

I feel like I just yesterday I was posting about his birth and now he's a little man. Five years ago I introduced you to this:

And here he is now.

First day of Kindergarten and no tears. From either of us. And notice he's sporting some knitted duds. Here's a better look at his 'First Day' attire. The back pack is Lego Star Wars with Darth Vader and Stormtroopers. Lunch bag is Scooby Doo. (we like the classics)

Yes, I actually knitted something and got it done on time. The pattern is Boys Can Wear Pink by Kate Oates. The yarn is some recycled Tahki Cotton Classic from my frogged Kyoto sweater. And I've never knit for someone who appreciates it more. He picked out the pattern (Dude loves wearing ties) and the colors from what I had in my stash. I still need to duplicate stitch a skull and crossbones on the tie. I finished the sweater at 2am before school and it was still damp when we got up. I tossed it in the dryer while he had breakfast. I had pulled out a back up shirt in case I didn't finish on time. I stopped him and asked if he wanted to wear that one or the sweater and he yelled "MY TIE SWEATER"  all while dancing for joy. He got no less than 6 compliments on it during the walk inside. And what did I get for it??? Random attacks of kisses  and "Thank you Mom, I love my sweater." even days later. I think I'm going to have to knit a winter version too.

Forget trying to knit for my husband anymore. Little Dude knows how to thank a knitter. :)

As for the first (half) week of school. He did wonderful. No tears. He already has all the ladies charmed. I even ran into his teacher one morning after dropping him off and she said that he was doing fantastic. Little did she know she had a surprise waiting for her that morning. The evening before he drew pictures of all the new rules and brought them in to give to her. (Yeah, he's a sweetie) His first day included Art class, which thrilled him beyond measure. The brush doesn't fall too far from the bucket with this one. I think we will see some great things out of this kid this year.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Favorite Kitchen Gadgets

1. Kitchen Shears- I love my Henckels. I use these things for everything....snipping herbs, cutting up food for the kids, and opening packages. I would love a few more around the house because they have a habit of wandering off.

2. Egg slicer- Still the fastest way to make egg salad.

 3. Orange peeler- so very simple but so very effective.

4. Ceramic slicer- This is fabulous for giving you nice thin garlic. Just watch your fingers. This is responsible for about 90% of my kitchen injuries.

5. Silicon spatula- heat resistant and beyond useful.

 

 6. Cuisineart Ice Cream Maker- mix the ingredients, pour them in and in 30 minutes you have fabulous ice cream. Or frozen yogurt. Or lemon ice...even vodka lemon ice.

7.  Stick blender- This was essential when making I was making my own baby food. I use it for making smoothies, pasta sauce, soup, and applesauce. The whisk attachment is great for pancake batter, boxed cakes and homemade ice cream. The food processor attachment comes in handy for a lot of things, though the one on my older one was much better.

8. Ulu knife and bowl- we bought one of these on our honeymoon to Alaska. I love this thing. Nothing beats it for cutting hot grilled cheese or pb&j. It's great on herbs and nuts too.And it is perfect for chopping up candy bars for ice cream mix ins.

 9. Zyliss corkscrew- my favorite corkscrew. Just put it on and turn. You just keep twisting and it both enters the cork and pulls it out. It also has a nifty little foil cutter to get the wrapper off the top of the bottle without cutting your hand open.

10. Kitchen Aid mixer- a must have. It handles tough mixing jobs as well as ones that require stamina. I love the food grinder attachment as well. The only thing I wish it had was a feature my stepmother's old stand mixer had: a lever that would shift the bowl over a few inches off center. The beaters would get close to the edge and it gave you enough room to add ingedients. The bowl chute just doesn't quite do it. That and I wish I had this limited edition model.

So, what can't you live without in the kitchen?

It's Friday!!!

And the end of my first official week back at work. It hardly seems like it's been a full week. Of course the fact that my co-workers have been in and out and I've been working all over the place may have something to do with it.

 My husband's employees who just had a baby came and got Little Miss's crib and changing table/dresser. Which means tomorrow will be the Big Furniture Switcharoo. Well phase two of it. Phase one involved getting the crib out of her room, moving Little Dude's toddler bed into her room, putting the toddler rail back onto it, and putting the twin mattress in his room. Now that the dresser/changer is gone, I can move the dresser my husband has been using into her room. It was my dresser growing up and part of the bedroom set she will eventually be using. My husband will be using the one I currently have storing art supplies, until we find one we really like on Craigslist. When he and I figure out our bedroom furniture situation, then I can hang the art back up in there.

Meanwhile Little Dude has his mattress on the floor until we (meaning my husband) builds the loft bed or we break down and buy one.

I'm starting to work out some deocration for Little Miss's room as well. I saw this online the other day and knew I had to make her one. It is currently in production. I have the frame (though ours isn't as elaborate) and the panel is drying as I write this. I'll work on the text layout this weekend and paint the letters next week. The line is from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and very fitting. For both of us. 

She is my little pink princess but has a healthy geek streak in her. She knows Darth Vader on sight and walks around singing "Nananananananana....BATMAN!" at the top of her lungs. After reading the first Fancy Nancy book, she wants to make her room all fancy. Who am I to deny her. I secretly have a fancy girly side. Mine is just less pink and more black/purple/red. But it still has all of the sparkle. Hey, who can resist the power of the shiny?

 And the decoration in Little Dude's room will shortly begin production. I'm just waiting on material to arrive.

Oh and there's a Friday Flashback over on Footprints in the Sky.

Back from the Black Hole

I fell off the face of the earth for a while there. Actually I was sucked into the black hole of theatre. I started back to work a bit sooner than planned with a side job at a small local theatre. It was suppose to be a simple 'come-in-and-paint-what-you-are-told' type of gig. That was until the charge quit. So I was offered the upgrade in position on the show (and possibly for future shows) and all the stress and responsibility that comes with it. Therefore, instead of easing back into working full time I jumped right into the frenzy of it, feet first. And it has been a wild ride.

Despite being brought in at the last minute and dealing with some complicated situations with little preparation, I had a blast. And the set looks beautiful, (more about that to come on Footprints). The people (most of them) were wonderful. Some of these people were ones I had worked with years ago at the same theatre. Some were people I knew somewhat but hadn't really done a lot with. And some were completely new. I brought in the wonderful woman that covered my maternity leave (both times) as my second, and we took the place by storm. And I think I can say honestly without bragging (well, maybe a little bragging) that I impressed the pants off them.

Nevertheless, it took a huge toll on my body. The last two weeks involved a lot of stairs. Just a few steps, but a few steps up and down all day long is still a lot of stairs. And ladders. Lots of ladder time. Going from my reduced physical load to stairs and ladders all day hit me hard. And I think the hardest part is that I am still coming to terms with my limitations. I'm getting better at realizing and accepting that I will never be the way that I was before. I will never be 100% again. And that's hard. And it sucks. And it sucks even more as a woman because we have to fight so much harder, and do so much more to get any respect in this business. But I'm doing it. One way or another, I'm making it work.

And now I'm back to my regular full time gig. It was nice to be back. The staff is coming back in dribs and drabs and we're easing our way into the season. It looks like it will be an interesting season, both artistically and logistically.

Getting back into my routine is nice and I'm tweaking things here and there to leave a little more room for knitting and blogging.

So here's to a happy start to the season (and the new year in my world).

Ten on Tuesday

10 Words to Describe Yourself in an Interview
  The task on this one is no descriptors....just the words.

1. Inventive
2. Resourceful
3. Adaptable
4. Creative
5. Humorous
6. Diligent
7. Dedicated
8. Skilled
9. Initiative
10. BAKES 

Never underestimate the power of baked goods on moral. Just sayin'.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Favorite Things To Do When You're Alone

Ah....alone time. As a mother of two minions under the age of 5, I don't get much of that. But when I do, I've a list a mile long to squeeze in. Here's a few of my favorites.

1. Sew- Much easier when one is alone. I can spread out and just concentrate. 
2. Knit- Again. Much easier to follow charts and count stitches without hearing B-I-N-G-O being sung at the top of little lungs. 
3. Browse at the Library- I come across so many books I want to indulge in when I can just wander around and not wrangle minions.
4. Cook- while blasting music. 
5. Painting- I love my co-workers (some of them), but leave the f*ck alone when I'm working. Especially if it something really involved. Surprisingly enough, it does take some concentration. 
6. Reading- I love me some books. All kinds:sci-fi, mysteries, histories, fantasy, classic literature, biographies, how-to, true crime, and every now and then I'll indulge in a trashy romance novel (chosen by the picture on the cover). That last one is almost exclusively when I'm alone. 
7. Soak in the tub- by the gods...I've not done that in about 6 years. Oh that's sad. That's really sad. (But then again, so is our tub).
8. Fabric/craft shopping- I was doing this earlier this evening. Then I don't feel rushed and I can just browse and imagine and squee over anything and everything. 
9. Watching movies- often while knitting or sewing. Then I can watch what I want to whether it's catching up on TV shows, a beloved chick flick, an old black and white favorite, a cherished sci-fi, or a cheesy Mel Brooks comedy. 
10. Getting up early to write- I use to do this years ago. Just me and a cup of tea, in the quiet of morning, writing away. It might be time to revive that tradition.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Favorite Burger Toppings

Fourth of July, the time we celebrate the colonists defiance of a mad king by eating burgers and setting off explosives. I'm a burger girl, but I am particular. No raw onions. Actually I don't like any cold vegetables on my burgers at all. Save the lettuce and tomato for the salad.

1. Cheese- any kind. I like to experiment. I'm big on stronger flavored cheeses on burgers...blue, Gorgonzola. But cheese really is a must.
2. Bacon- duh
3. Mushrooms- not canned.
4. Guacamole/avocado
5. Caramelized onions
6. Garlic aioli- or some other creamy sauce. 
7. Onion strings- crispier and better than onion rings
8. BBQ sauce
9. Ketchup- no mustard on burgers for me. That's for hot dogs.
10. Lobster- It sounds odd but one of my favorite burgers contains the following: Lobster, Smoked Gouda, Caramelized Onion, Lettuce, Tomato, Corn Spread. It is divine.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Things You Want To Do This Summer

Can it be 100? Because I can think of so much I want to accomplish. One of the best descriptions of living with MS I've ever heard was how you might have a list of 6 things to get done, but you can only do two. That is how the summer is starting to feel. Especially since the rotavirus stole a good week of time away from us. 

But here is the list on out....I'll attempt to be realistic.

1. Paint Little Dude's room- He's turning 5 in the fall and outgrowing the toddler bed. It's time for a big boy make over. He's picked the color (Dynamic Blue) and I have the paint, though it's not tinted yet. After our road trip this is happening. 
2. Accomplish the Great Bed Switcheroo- Part of the room make over Little Dude is getting a new bed. His convertible crib (which goes from crib to toddler bed with rail, toddler day bed without rail and full size bed) will become Little Miss's bed. Her bed only goes from crib to toddler bed with rail to daybed without rail. She's on the verge of climbing out of her crib and ready for the bed with the rail. Also we will be switching to our new mattress. I didn't want to put it into our room until I painted.
3. Paint our bedroom- In progress at the moment. 
4. Finish quilts. 
5. Day trips on kids' vacation week- Daycare closes down for a week every summer. I really want to make the most of it this year. We have a few ideas and it seems like their favorite Uncle (my younger brother) is going to visit. 
6. Make jam. My son eats PB&J everyday. I prefer to give the kids jelly that is sweetened with juice which is crazy expensive. He loved the blueberry jam I made last summer. I'm hoping to put up a year's worth this year. Which means I should be picking strawberries at this moment. 
7. Continue the household clean out- We've had the first garage sale. I've a bunch of items for Craigslist and then plan on another sale in the fall. The house is in a complete state of chaos but we are really making progress. It feels so good. So very good. 
8. Get a jump on stocking the freezer- I'd like to get a stock of homemade meals in the freezer for when I go back to work. I know the first few weeks will be rough as I get back into the swing of working all day and I'd rather not have meals suffer. 
9. Start making bread- I've been led to the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day series and I'm hooked. I've not started yet but it is on the list for after the road trip. I borrowed these from the Library. I have a Kindle gift card and think they will be my purchase. Just the thought of fresh bread daily is making me drool.
10. Knit 

WIP Wednesday

Not much knitting here at chez Gothknits. I've manged to put several rounds on Little Dude's sweater and it's up to about 6 inches now.

Mostly my days have been filled with changing diapers, emptying buckets, spraying everything with Lysol, doing laundry, second guessing whether or not to give water, or Pedialyte or food, changing sheets and towels and pajamas and movies and generally trying to calm them without getting the plague myself. I think I was successful in that last goal. I'm still wary and not eating anything I wouldn't want coming back up. This was Little Miss's first true stomach bug and it hit her hard. She was having issues with letting things just come up and go into the bucket and I think her stubborness helped prolong it. Not my Little Dude...he's old pro at this game. At one point he quietly got off my lap, walk over to an available bucket, stuck his head in and let go. My poor babies....and Little Miss had a round of teething on top of it. Last night was a scream fest from her. But I think minus the teething, my minions are back to themselves. I saw the true Little Dude for the first time in days last night before bed. My husband is still recovering but I think he's over the worst of it now.

I'm just waiting to see if it gets me. In the meantime my body has said: 'Since I'm fighting off this big bad dragon, I'm just gonna let this little guy through'. The little guy being another UTI. Man I hate these things...but I hate puking more.

Through this whole thing I've decided that Lysol needs to make house bombs, just like the flea bombs. Get everyone out and set those puppies off. When you come back it's sanitized and you can go back to normal.

In the midst of all this my parents came to visit and we made sausage and had a garage sale. Needless to say I'm on the verge of insanity. But we made 10 lbs of sweet Italian sausage, 10 lbs of breakfast sausage, and $80. My garage looks fairly neat at the moment. We've two piles out there: one for donation and one for Craigslist/fall garage sale.

So much of the work in progress has been in the house. Furniture has been rearranged and the kitchen functions much better now. Though we're still going the wrong direction to throw out trash and get silverware. I'm continuing to empty out cupboards and drawers and everything. I think I may have found new dishes. Playing nurse for the sick ward has set me back a few days in my painting schedule. I'd had hope to have our room done by now. Not so much. That is what I am trying to prep for at the moment, between bathroom breaks and spraying things people have touched.

Hopefully more progress (and pictures) tomorrow. Back to it.

Ten on Tuesday

 Hello. Welcome to the plague house. Everyone here has been sick....except for me. Though I'm on the fence right now if I am coming down with it, or just normal medication side effects. Time will tell. But on to happier things, (I'll save the plague notes for another post).

Ten Favorite Backyard Games-
  We really don't get outside enough. And now that we're adults it's mostly to do yard work and make sure the kids don't wander off or get killed while we are doing yard work. It's time to put the fun back in to the back yard so here's a few. 

1. Croquet
2. Bocce
3. Badminton
4. Frisbee - Ultimate or otherwise
5. Lawn Darts- illegal they may be but fun they were. Scope out garage sales to find a set.
6. Wiffle ball.
7. Water war- less of a game and more of an all out epic showdown. Most weapons are fair game. Water guns, water balloons, spray bottles, pump sprayers. Just not the hose, disqualified due to unlimited ammo. Have a kiddie pool for refills
8. Horseshoes
9. Ladder ball
10. Cornhole/washers

WIP Wednesday

Really there are only two things in progress at the moment:

1. tag sale prep
2. sausage making prep (which is all but done now)

 Oh yeah, and one more thing.
     3. Going crazy.

See you in a few more days once the whirl wind is done, and hopefully where my freezer will be fuller, my house and garage emptier and my bank account wealthier.


I leave you with this moment of cute to distract you.